as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
the endless pestering finally drove me to study at the library
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in teasing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in bothering
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
one resident pestered the condo board about every little thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pestering
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Fudd played some solid defense early with a quick steal and spent some time pestering Clark.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 May 2026
The pal had a place in the beach town for quite some time and had long been pestering the former TAP Air pilot to stop by and see the area’s unparallelled beauty and tranquility for himself.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
Tiny eye-biting flies are swarming all over the San Gabriel Valley and pestering residents.
—Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
In a game where the Stars smashed the Oilers, Hryckowian was pestering Edmonton players all night en route to drawing four penalties.
—R.j. Coyle, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
But this is now a 20-game stint of pestering Knicks defense — with no example better than during Sunday’s 25-point takedown of the San Antonio Spurs.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Every day the press corps descended on both teams with pestering questions, some of which were obvious plants to promote products.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
No kid brother tagging along, pestering him with questions, pushing up on his social circle.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
There were almost no visible signs of this pestering affliction, which interfered with the rabbi’s sleep and therefore with his mental competence and his negotiation of daytime duties and professional matters.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
The character, Günter Van Ellis (Ivan Sherry), is seen pestering Oh Father (Daveed Diggs) and Homelander at the White House.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Fudd played some solid defense early with a quick steal and spent some time pestering Clark.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 May 2026
The pal had a place in the beach town for quite some time and had long been pestering the former TAP Air pilot to stop by and see the area’s unparallelled beauty and tranquility for himself.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 1 May 2026
Tiny eye-biting flies are swarming all over the San Gabriel Valley and pestering residents.
—Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
In a game where the Stars smashed the Oilers, Hryckowian was pestering Edmonton players all night en route to drawing four penalties.
—R.j. Coyle, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
But this is now a 20-game stint of pestering Knicks defense — with no example better than during Sunday’s 25-point takedown of the San Antonio Spurs.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Every day the press corps descended on both teams with pestering questions, some of which were obvious plants to promote products.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
No kid brother tagging along, pestering him with questions, pushing up on his social circle.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pestering
Noun
-
But instead of quietly dispersing, patrons and neighborhood residents resisted, sparking several nights of demonstrations that crystallized growing frustration with discrimination and police harassment.—
Diana Rodriguez,
Time,
8 June 2026
-
The other lawsuit accuses the sheriff's office of similar hiring practices and harassment for speaking up.—
Jack Springgate,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
For June, in Miami, that’s a teasing treat.—
Howard Cohen
June 1,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
-
Or when Reggie purposefully annoys Arthur by having his son, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), practice with his a cappella group in Arthur’s editing suite, a move that demonstrates the increasingly teasing affection between Arthur and Reggie.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Brunson turned on the boosters in the second half, attacking the Spurs' defense and showing little sign that his knee was bothering him.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
If certain smells or experiences are bothering you, here are some other tips for managing postpartum odor and sweat.—
Dory Zayas,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The play was naughty stuff in 1925, when the show, starring Tallulah Bankhead, got banned.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
But theatergoers around me couldn’t seem to get enough, no matter how repetitive the naughty humor became.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Joined by Mayor Mamdani, friends and family on Thursday laid to rest an East Village deli worker who police said was shot and killed during a dispute with a troublemaking former customer.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
There’s an inherent troublemaking nature to him that can’t be repressed by the big Disney musical.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Turang has been crafty on the base paths, recording 11 steals on 13 attempts.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Next, the recipe gets a bit crafty in the best way.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pestering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pestering. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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